Friday, May 30, 2014

New blog: What Would You Do With $217 Million?Buy a big stretch of San Juan Island shoreline, cut down trees along the shoreline, and propose building a 271-foot dock in a pocket beach to moor six boats up to 30 feet long for six single-family residences? You’d still have a lot of change left even after all that. That’s the story thus far about Virginia Powerball winner David Honeywell...

World On Brink Of Sixth Great Extinction, Species Disappearing Faster Than Ever BeforeSpecies of plants and animals are becoming extinct at least 1,000 times faster than they did before humans arrived on the scene, and the world is on the brink of a sixth great extinction, a new study says. The study looks at past and present rates of extinction and finds a lower rate in the past than scientists had thought. Species are now disappearing from Earth about 10 times faster than biologists had believed, said study lead author noted biologist Stuart Pimm of Duke University.... The work, published Thursday by the journal Science, was hailed as a landmark study by outside experts. Seth Borenstein reports. (Associated Press)

Cornwall landfill cleanup is one step closer to a city parkThe plan to turn an old city dump site into a waterfront park is nearing the end of the regulatory process, and the Washington Department of Ecology is taking public comment on final plans for dealing with contamination there. Ecology prepared the plan as part of a legal agreement with the city of Bellingham, the Port of Bellingham, and the Washington Department of Natural Resources. The public is invited to comment on the plan from June 2 to July 2. John Stark reports. (Bellingham Herald)

White House energy report omits Keystone, other controversial issuesA White House report on its energy policy Thursday stressed good news but omitted any discussion of controversial issues such as lifting a ban on oil exports, the long-delayed Keystone pipeline or growing concern about crude oil in railroad tank cars. Coming days before a signature White House proposal to crack down on carbon emissions at power plants, the administration’s report card touting its “all of the above” energy strategy was sharply criticized by green groups. They complained that President Barack Obama tries to look tough on pollution while eroding that very effort by touting the record U.S. production of oil and natural gas. Kevin G. Hall reports. (McClatchy)

There's Now An App To Report Sightings Of Invasive SpeciesSightings of invasive thistles, moths and wild pigs can now be reported using a smartphone app launched this week by the Washington Invasive Species Council. The idea is to get more eyes and ears on certain plants and animals that are considered destructive to the local environment. Users of the Washington Invasives App will be able to take a photo of plants and animals that they think might not belong here. Experts will then identify the species before uploading the photos to a statewide map. Rae Ellen Bichell reports. (KPLU)

Plan to add oil tanks at Kinder Morgan terminal causes concernThe Burnaby Fire Department warned of a terrifying scenario Wednesday involving a potential explosion at Kinder Morgan Canada’s Burnaby Mountain tank farm that could result in toxic fumes and a tide of molten crude rolling down toward nearby residents and an elementary school. But the company shot back that the scenario is unrealistically based on a worst-case event in which the company, which has had no tank farm fires in 60 years of operation, has taken no steps to contain the fire at the storage facility. Deputy Fire Chief Chris Bowcock said in an interview he’s concerned about the company’s plan to add 14 larger storage tanks to the 13 already located on the side of the mountain. Peter O'Neil reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Sewage-sniffing dog finds trouble in Samish watershedPlastic buckets, murky water, action: a terrier-cattle dog mix in a neon yellow harness took off through a parking lot behind the Skagit County offices Wednesday. She charged from one water-filled bucket to another, passing most quickly, but stopping to lie down at a few... “It’s all a game to her. She thinks it’s pretty fun,” Environmental Canine Services co-founder Karen Reynolds said... Skagit County turned to the dog training company, which employs Crush and her handler, Aryn Hervel, out of California, as a way to locate sources of human fecal coliform pollution in the Samish River watershed. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Kinder Morgan bombarded with 10,000-plus questions on Trans Mountain expansionKinder Morgan is asking for more time to respond to over 10,000 questions submitted to the National Energy Board about the proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline. The company has until June 4 to respond to information requests from 117 of the 398 groups and individuals granted intervener status by the board for the application. The company says it cannot meet that deadline with such a large number of requests, and it has asked for a delay until June 27.

We'll soon know how many oil shipments pass through countyBy the end of next week, Washington will learn how often tank cars of oil siphoned from North Dakota's Bakken Shale are getting shipped by rail through Snohomish County and the rest of the state. An emergency order from the U.S. Transportation Department requires railroads to tell the state how many trains carrying this highly flammable varietal of black gold are expected to travel through Washington each week, and on which routes. Railroads are not required to reveal exactly what days and times the trains are coming or how much crude oil is getting transported. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

New blog:What Kind of God Creates Tent Caterpillars?‘Tis the season to ask the ultimate questions about divine design when the tent caterpillars swarm, the carpenter ants emerge, the mosquitoes buzz and the slugs begin chomping down in the garden....

Water inspections impacting recreation and food supplySummer means more people getting out on the water and hitting the beach for shellfish harvesting. Behind-the-scene, state and local health inspectors are out testing water quality around the Puget Sound to make sure the waters are clean and safe. During the summer, health inspectors concentrate on taking samples in areas people like to play, swim and fish. Teresa Yuan reports. (KING)

Currently A Ditch, Seattle's Longest Creek Soon To Be A Stream AgainUtility crews are about to take a busy northeast Seattle thoroughfare out of commission for six months. But in exchange for shutting down five blocks of 35th Avenue Northeast, utilities officials say the neighborhood will get relief from chronic flooding and a very new look for the city's longest creek. Gabriel Spitzer reports. (KPLU)

SEA the future with South Whidbey park, group partnershipA public/private partnership that some say is the future of state park stewardship was commemorated at South Whidbey State Park on Sunday. A crowd numbering more than 50 people attended Celebrate the Water, an event marking the one-year anniversary of the partnership among SEA, — Service, Education, Adventure — Calyx Community Arts School, Friends of South State Park and Washington State Parks. Although autonomous of each other and with different missions, the organizations have for the past year worked for a similar objective: to maintain, bring attention to and use South Whidbey State Park as a teaching tool for future generations. Justin Burnett reports. (South Whidbey Record)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

If you like to watch: Bill Evans @BillEvansPhoto does very nice work. "Morning Run on @wsferries from #LopezIsland #Travel" See Bill Evans Photography.

Kinder Morgan blueprint for Trans Mountain pipeline allows for another 240,000 barrels a dayKinder Morgan Canada Inc. is designing its Trans Mountain pipeline expansion with room to significantly boost capacity even as the company seeks approval to nearly triple oil deliveries on the existing system. The expansion scenario, which would add 240,000 barrels a day to the existing proposal, is buried near the end of a response the company filed with regulators this month as part of an ongoing review of a $5.4-billion plan to increase capacity of the Edmonton-to-Vancouver oil pipeline to 890,000 barrels a day, from 300,000 barrels today. Jeff Lewis reports. (Financial Times)

Sharp Rise in West Coast Oil Trains, Fears AboundResidents along the scenic Columbia River are hoping to persuade regulators to reject plans for what would be the Pacific Northwest's largest crude oil train terminal — the proposed destination for at least four trains a day, each more than a mile long. The increasing numbers of trains, each carrying tens of thousands of barrels of potentially volatile crude from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota, have raised concerns around the country after nine accidents in the past year, including one last month in Virginia.... The fight over the terminal underscores a new reality on the West Coast: The region is receiving unprecedented amounts of crude oil by rail shipments, mostly from the oil boom in North Dakota, Montana and parts of Canada. More than a dozen oil-by-rail refining facilities and terminals have been built in California, Oregon and Washington in the past three years. As a result, long oil trains are already rolling through rural and urban areas alike — including along the iconic Columbia. Another two dozen new projects or expansions are planned or in the works in those three states. Gosia Wozniacka reports. (Associated Press)

New blog:Commencement 2014: Thinking About What Sally Jewell Didn’t Say At Whitman CollegeFirst, a loud shout out to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell for a fine commencement address at Whitman College’s commencement this past Sunday. She talked salmon and she talked about and quoted Billy Frank, Jr., who is on his way to an iconic, mythic stature. I just hope the graduates really listened and heard Billy’s words....

Victoria sewage plant won't get provincial pushB.C.'s Environment Minister Mary Polak says she will not intervene in the fight over where to put Victoria's new sewage treatment plant. "After giving the request due consideration, the province will not attempt to override the zoning decisions of the duly elected Esquimalt council, said Polak in a statement issued on Tuesday morning. The Capital Regional District asked Polak to step in last month, after the Township of Esquimalt refused to rezone land at McLoughlin Point, which the CRD purchased last year at a cost of $4.6 million. The move, which effectively blocks plans to build on the site, leaves the CRD without a location for the plant, after eight years of planning. The CRD has been ordered by the provincial government to have a plant up and running by 2016. The federal government has set its own deadline of 2020. Mike Laanela reports. (CBC) See also: CRD drops plan to build sewage plant in Esquimalt, next step unclear Bill Cleverley and Lindsay Kines report. (Times Colonist) And watch: Dumping Raw Sewage is Not Okay

Coal industry highlights economic contributions to B.C.The Coal Alliance is combating growing public opposition to expanded coal shipments through the Lower Mainland with claims its area terminals directly pump tens of millions of dollars into cities throughout B.C. annually. B.C.’s coal industry ­— including the Lower Mainland’s three main shipping terminals, its mines and transportation sector — collectively spent more than $584 million buying goods and services in B.C. since 2009, according to the Alliance. Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Vancouver Aquarium's beluga breeding 'indefensible' says Jane Goodall Renowned conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall has entered the growing controversy over the Vancouver Aquarium's beluga program, penning a letter to the park board saying that on-site cetacean breeding is "no longer defensible by science." In her letter, Goodall says the high mortality rates of such programs and the complex social and sensory lives of the animals are reasons to end the program. (CBC)

Seattle Fishermen Mark 100 Years Of Toil (And Fabulous Fall Paydays)You know it's the start of the fishing season at Fishermen's Terminal in Seattle when a familiar smell is in the air: coconut-scented sunscreen. The Alaska salmon fishing season is about to start its 100th year in operation out of Fishermen’s Terminal in the Interbay area of Seattle. The terminal was an early creation of the Port of Seattle, which recognized the need to create a snug harbor for the city’s growing fishing fleet. Today, many of the vessels operating there start by heading to Alaska, and by early fall they are fishing salmon in Puget Sound. Carolyn Adolph reports. (KUOW)

High levels of mercury found in fish at Olympic National Park's Hoh LakeHigh levels of mercury have been found in fish from a lake in Olympic National Park and in remote areas of other Western national parks, proving that even the most isolated lakes and streams in the U.S. aren't immune to mercury pollution. The finding was included in a recently published study by the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service. (Peninsula Daily News)

One County’s Controversial Move To Protect Homeowners From Landslide RiskCanyon Creek comes plunging fast and steep down the Cascade Mountains near Mount Baker.It rushes past the community of Glacier Springs before meeting the Nooksack River 25 miles east of Bellingham. When landslides upstream induce big floods, the river has been known to take some homes with it. Since the March 22 Oso landslide killed 42 people, county governments in the Northwest have been thinking more about how to plan for and mitigate the risk of landslides. There may be some lessons to be learned from Whatcom County, which bought out 31 property owners in the Glacier Springs flood zone. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Of Rhubarb and Time TravelLaurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Marcel Proust found his time machine in that little sponge cake called a Madeleine. For me, time travel comes from a nibble of fresh, uncooked rhubarb. Steamed rhubarb is nice, especially with yogurt, and I adore rhubarb crumble. But neither holds the power of rhubarb eaten raw: one tiny bite, and I’m instantly transported to the back porch of our old house on Musgrave Avenue. There I sit, a stick of fresh rhubarb in one hand, and in the other, a small cup of white sugar for dipping the rhubarb. Ah, bliss!..."

China To Lift Ban On West Coast ShellfishChina will lift its ban on imports of geoduck clams and other shellfish from the West Coast, according to a statement from Washington Congressman Derek Kilmer... Chinese officials sent a letter Friday to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration advising the federal agency the ban would be lifted. The letter stated Chinese officials were satisfied with NOAA’s proposed plans for new monitoring and testing requirements for paralytic shellfish poisoning and inorganic arsenic, which would meet China’s food safety requirements. Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix)

The Bureau of Land Management is hosting a series of gatherings this week to discuss the management of the San Juan Islands National Monument. Lopez - Tuesday, May 27, 6-9pm at Lopez Center; San Juan - Wednesday, May 28, 6-9pm at the Grange; and Orcas - Thursday, May 29, 6-9pm at Eastsound Firehall. The meetings will be hosted by local BLM staff along with District Manager Daniel Picard, District Planner Chris Carlton and Planning Assistant Anjolene Price. Read the Draft Interim Management Policy and make your views known.

Tsawwassen farmland development plan gets okay in Metro Vancouver voteMetro Vancouver has approved a controversial development on a piece of Tsawwassen farmland, despite reservations from some directors that the move could set a dangerous precedent and lead to similar deals by land speculators in other parts of the region. Directors voted 93-31 Friday to amend the regional growth strategy to allow Delta to change the agricultural land-use designation to urban and conservation to allow construction of 950 homes and community gardens on the site known as Southlands. The move, which required a two-thirds majority vote, ends a decades-old battle over the Southlands site, which is not in the Agricultural Land Reserve but is considered to be largely unproductive farmland. Under the deal, 80 per cent of the land would be handed over to Delta for public ownership along with a $9 million contribution from Century Holdings' Sean Hodgins for improved drainage. Kelly Sinoski reports. (Vancouver Sun)

State’s appetite for fish stirs battle over industry, environment A bitter fight over how much fish people eat — and thus how clean Washington waters should be — has pitted tribes, commercial fishermen and environmental groups against Boeing, business groups and municipalities. The state Department of Ecology appears ready to boost the current fish-consumption rate, an obscure number that has huge ramifications for the state because it drives water-quality standards. A higher number means that fewer toxic pollutants would be allowed in waters. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Can US eliminate invasive species by eating them?It seems like a simple proposition: American lakes, rivers and offshore waters are filling up with destructive fish and crustaceans originally from other parts of the world, many of them potential sources of food. So why not control these invasive populations by getting people to eat them? Ramit Plushnick-Masti reports. (Associated Press)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Top ten new species for 2014An international committee selected the top 10 from among the approximately 18,000 new species named during the previous year. The list includes a quartet of tiny newcomers to science: a miniscule skeleton shrimp from Santa Catalina Island in California, a single-celled protist that does a credible imitation of a sponge, a clean room microbe that could be a hazard during space travel and a teensy fringed fairyfly named Tinkerbell. (Science Daily)

Officials will celebrate new shellfish hatchery as important step in restoring Washington watersRepresentatives from federal, state, local and tribal organizations will celebrate the opening of the new shellfish restoration hatchery today, May 22, at the NOAA Fisheries Manchester Research Station as a significant step forward in recovering shellfish in Washington's Puget Sound and beyond. The Kenneth K. Chew Center for Shellfish Research and Restoration is a direct result of NOAA’s National Shellfish Initiative and Washington State’s Shellfish Initiative, the first state to pass such an effort. (Port Orchard Independent)

Group wants probe of B.C. salmon farmsOfficials at an environment commission established under the North American free-trade agreement are calling for an investigation into whether Canada is enforcing pollution laws around salmon farms in British Columbia. In a statement released Thursday, the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation said there are grounds to investigate complaints “that Canada is failing to effectively enforce fish habitat protection and pollution prevention provisions … in relation to salmon aquaculture operations authorized by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in coastal B.C.” Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

In case you missed this yesterday: Study measures oil spill risks from Puget Sound projectsThe potential risk of an oil spill is likely to spike if three marine terminals are completed, bringing increased oil tanker and other vessel traffic through the greater Puget Sound region, according to a new study released by the Puget Sound Partnership. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Obama and Gov. Jay Inslee: in sync on climate change measures?How well will Gov. Jay Inslee's carbon emissions proposals mesh with national efforts to deal with climate change? That will be answered June 2 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unveils its proposed regulations to reduce carbon emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act. President Barack Obama ordered the EPA to create the regulations as part of his plans to deal with climate change issues. Making a visit in Seattle on Thursday, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy declined to give any details of the upcoming regulations. John Stang reports. (Crosscut) See also: EarthFix Conversation: Gina McCarthy, Head of the EPA, Talks Climate Change Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Train Derails North of CentraliaA train derailed from the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad north of Centralia early Thursday morning. Large sections of rail in the area of Foron Road were severely damaged, and several cars were sitting off track, but none were flipped over. It does not appear any materials or products were spilled. However, large sections of the rail were torn from the ties and lying on their sides, while in other sections the rails were missing completely. (Chronicle)

North Idaho BNSF tracks closed after train derailsA freight train has derailed in North Idaho near the Kootenai River, but BNSF officials said nothing has spilled into the waterway and no hazardous materials were involved. BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said the train with three locomotives derailed at 1:55 a.m. Thursday, five miles east of Bonners Ferry. The train, which originated in Great Falls, Montana, and was heading through Spokane to Pasco was carrying 116 loads of general merchandise, including beer products, rock material and grain. (Spokesman-Review)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

A Shimmery Sea Blob From The San Juans May Have Just Upended Evolutionary HistoryA squishy little sea creature fished out of the Salish Sea may be rewriting our history of how animal life first evolved. They’re called comb jellies, and they have nothing to do with hair products. They are translucent blobs that propel themselves with rows of shimmering threads called cilia. Scientists captured specimens at the University of Washington Friday Harbor Laboratories and analyzed their genomes, coming to two pretty startling conclusions. First, these animals have nervous systems, but they look almost nothing like those of people or fish, or any other animal on Earth.... What may be even more surprising is that these aliens are our relatives. Scientists have long thought multicellular life began with sponges, which have no nerves or muscles. They just sit there and filter water. The thinking was animals got more complex much later. But the comb jelly, a predator with sophisticated anatomy, seems to actually be the first branch on the evolutionary tree, predating the more primitive-seeming sponges. Gabriel Spitzer reports. (KPLU)

Long, Warm Summer On Tap, According To Weather Service OutlookThis summer in the Pacific Northwest will be warmer than average, according to the National Weather Service. The supercomputers at the Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center have crunched long-term trends to produce an outlook for June, July and August. For most of the Northwest, the forecast gives a strong probability of above-normal temperatures. Tom Banse reports. (KPLU)

New twists in battle over Lolita give activists new hopeThere are new developments in the decades-long battle over whether Lolita the killer whale, still at Miami Seaquarium, will be returned to her home waters near Seattle. Activists believe, while still a long shot, these developments present the best chance in 40 years to achieve their goal. Among the developments, Lolita will likely get protections under the Endangered Species Act; a new company with less reliance on Orca shows will complete its purchase of Seaquarium in mid-May; and celebrities are speaking out about Lolita's plight including Seattle natives Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. Jeff Burnside reports. (KOMO)

Study assesses potential risk from increased shipping traffic in Puget SoundA recently released Vessel Traffic Risk Assessment (VTRA) shows that three proposed maritime terminal developments could increase the risk of oil spills from vessel accidents. However, the study also shows that when a combination of management tools is applied to simulations of increased traffic, the potential for accidents could fall below the level regarded as the region’s baseline accident rate. The baseline was developed based on vessel traffic data collected in 2010. The VTRA study focuses on evaluating how the risk of accidents and oil spills in Puget Sound changes when commercial vessel traffic increases... The VTRA study is available here. (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal)

Island glaciers will disappear in 25 years, scientist saysAll Vancouver Island glaciers, including the iconic Comox glacier, will be gone within 25 years due to climate change, says University of Victoria geography professor Dan Smith. “There are not many glaciers left,” Smith said Wednesday. “In the 1970s, they did an inventory on Vancouver Island and they counted about 170 glaciers, and I’d say there are five of what you could call glaciers left.” Sandra McCulloch reports. (Times Colonist)

Tunnel to be drilled under Magnolia bluff this summerThis summer, a tunnel will be drilled below the Magnolia bluff to connect the existing sewer pipes and the new storage tank for the South Magnolia Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project from King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD). During major rainstorms, the existing diversion structure cannot handle the increased water, and a mixture of rainwater and raw sewage overflows directly into Puget Sound. This happened 36 times last year; now, WTD is under a federal consent decree to limit that to one time per year on a long-term average. To get this water to the new storage facility, it will need to go via gravity pipe under the Magnolia bluff. Sarah Radmer reports. (Queen Anne & Magnolia News)

Reject Delta’s Southlands proposal, Metro staff report saysDelta’s contentious plan to convert a parcel of Tsawwassen farmland into a massive residential development is a significant breach of Metro Vancouver’s regional growth strategy and could put more agricultural land at risk, a Metro staff report suggests. The report, slated to go to the Metro board Friday, recommends that directors reject an amendment to the plan, which would see 59.7 hectares of the land transferred from agricultural to general urban and re-designate 42.2 hectares from agricultural to conservation and recreation. Kelly Sinoski reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Gorge pollutant identifiedA substance that polluted Gorge Creek and the Gorge waterway this month has been found to be a combination of motor oil and engine-cleaning fluid. While most of the liquid has been collected, booms and absorbent material are being left in place for at least the next three weeks to ensure that if more appears, it will be contained. The Ministry of Environment said five ducks were found to have been affected by the liquid. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 250 AM PDT THU MAY 22 2014 TODAY LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 15 SECONDS...BECOMING NW 4
FT AT 8 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF RAIN. TONIGHT NW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Look Up In The Sky And Live BigAdam Frank writes: "We live in a galaxy of 100 billion stars. That's a one-hundred-thousand million suns, joined together by their mutual gravity in the shape of disk, all swirling around a common center. A 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy and how many have you seen in the last week? How many have you stopped to notice? The sad truth is that most of us (myself included) live in the midst of city glare. On any given night it feels like we can barely see a handful of stars (OK, maybe handfuls of handfuls). Worse still, lost in our worries, we barely look up and let the light of those few cosmic emissaries we can see work their magic and get us out of our heads..." (NPR)

Ship towed to Port Angeles for repairs after stalling in StraitThe MV Westwood Columbia was moored to a pier in Port Angeles Harbor on Tuesday, a day after losing power in the middle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca north of Neah Bay on Monday. The 650-foot green cargo ship — an unusual-looking vessel featuring a large, square structure in its midsection — reported a loss of propulsion at about noon, said Lisa Copeland, state Department of Ecology spokeswoman. The container ship, which is based in the Bahamas, was carrying lumber and other cargo outbound through the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Canadian waters when the failure occurred. “It took less than an hour for the tug [from Neah Bay] to reach them,” Copeland said. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Three rivers, two creeks on B.C.’s endangered waterways listDams, acid leachate and a hazardous waste treatment plant are among the threats that have placed three rivers and two creeks on the annual list of British Columbia’s most endangered waterways. The Peace, Fraser and Similkameen Rivers, together with Pennask and Callaghan Creeks, were selected from nominations made by the 100,000 members of the Outdoor Recreation Council of British Columbia. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Glimmer of hope for B.C.’s endangered owlsA flourishing barred owl population is being sacrificed to help with recovery of endangered northern spotted owls in southwestern B.C. The number of spotted owls known to exist in the wild in southwestern B.C. has increased by four in the past two years to 14 amid a wide-ranging management program that has included the killing and large-scale relocation of its chief competitor, the barred owl. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Bellingham meeting: Money for railroad overpasses nowhere to be foundOverpasses to separate vehicle traffic from railroad tracks would help prevent many of the headaches caused by increased rail shipments, but there is little or no money available for such costly overpass projects. That was one of the messages that the Washington State Transportation Commission heard Tuesday, May 20, at an all-day session in City Council chambers. The seven-member group collects information on state transportation issues and makes recommendations to the State Legislature, among other things. Paul Roberts, board secretary of the Association of Washington Cities, told commission members that state and federal governments have shown little interest in stepping up to pay for "grade separations," or overpasses that eliminate the traffic backups that can result when trains block busy streets and roads. A single railroad overpass can cost $15 million to $30 million, Roberts said, and few local governments can come up with that kind of cash. John Stark reports. (Bellingham Herald)

New feature on county website tracks Navy jet noiseIslanders can now report noise from military jet aircraft on a new application on the San Juan County website. It’s proven to be popular, with 14 reports registered in less than 24 hours after the application went active in the afternoon of May 15. Visitors to the website can enter their own observations and access prior entries by clicking on the red dots on the map. Steve Wehrly reports. (San Juan Journal)

Growers at war with intense caterpillar infestationWestern tent caterpillars have infested the branches of deciduous trees in abundant numbers this year, bringing unsightly white webs and leaf-munching larvae to the attention of growers across Skagit County.... “Sometimes you get one or two (caterpillars) off a limb. This year you can get 30 off a limb. It’s been terrible,” said Alan Merritt, owner of Merritt Apples in Bow. Mark Stayton reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Deluge in Marysville a '100-year event'The unseasonable rainstorm that struck the Marysville area late Sunday was “a 100-­year event,” a city official said. The sudden downpour backed up storm drains, flooding streets, and water rose to two feet deep in some areas. According to the Marysville Public Works Department, the city received 2.61 inches of rain in the first 65 minutes. At its peak, the storm cell produced rainfall of 2.48 inches per hour. The total from the storm was 3.40 inches. Public Works Director Kevin Nielsen called the storm “extremely unique.” Brenna Holland reports. (Everett Herald)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Sweeping study aims to find why salmon stocks collapsedWith almost $10-million in funding raised from private donors, corporations and non-profits, the Pacific Salmon Foundation has started a salmon research project unlike anything the government ever attempted. Launched on the 20th anniversary of the collapse of coho and chinook salmon stocks in the Strait of Georgia, the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project is aimed at finding out why the crash happened – and determining what can be done to restore the runs. Brian Riddell, president and CEO of the Pacific Salmon Foundation, said the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, where he used to be lead scientist, never tackled the problem in the holistic way his organization intends to. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Post-mortem underway after California fish die-off Marine biologists worked Monday to determine whether a recent Southern California heat wave, lack of oxygen in the water or other factors might have caused the death of thousands of fish along the coastal waters of Marina del Rey. California Fish and Wildlife workers continued to remove the dead anchovies and stingrays that created a silvery blanket on the water's surface and a pungent smell that set off a feeding frenzy among harbor seals, pelicans and seagulls. An octopus was also found among the dead sea life. The incident is likely the result of a confluence of factors, said Dana Roeber Murray, a marine and coastal scientist with the environmental group Heal the Bay. (Associated Press)

Railroads claim national security in keeping oil train routes secret, but feds say not soAs crude oil shipments have proliferated and raised safety concerns across the country, railroads have refused to acknowledge their routes and frequencies, details that anyone patient enough to stand trackside could learn. Railroads companies have claimed that they're prohibited by federal law from divulging those details for national security reasons. But they're not. Rob Davis reports. (Oregonian) See also: Risk Assessment for Railroads How taxpayers will end up paying for the costs of a worst case oil train derailment. Eric de Place and Rich Feldman report. (Sightline)

Oil spill exercise starts Tuesday in Burrard InletIf you’re near North Vancouver’s Cates Park at the south end of Indian Arm this week and see what looks like several boats and crews desperately trying to contain an oil spill, don’t fret. It’s not for real. A three-day oil spill response training exercise will be conducted in Burrard Inlet from Tuesday to Thursday, days after Vancouver joined a list of cities unhappy with Kinder Morgan’s proposed twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby. However, a spokesman for the organization conducting the exercise said Monday it is a regularly scheduled event that was not prompted in any way by the Kinder Morgan proposal. Brian Morton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Sensors to warn of quakes affecting IslandOcean Networks Canada plans to add land sensors to its systems that could serve as an early-warning system for earthquakes affecting Vancouver Island. The group has partnered with the University of British Columbia, which developed a land sensor that provides a warning 60 to 90 seconds before the land-shaking energy of an earthquake arrives.... The land sensors are cup-sized and placed in a solid, stable location with power and Internet connectivity. Offshore sensors, exposed to high pressure and salt water, are bigger and stored in circular titanium tubes with large and expensive underwater connectors on the ocean floor. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

County: Building moratorium needs more researchA sweeping moratorium on new home construction near Snohomish County’s landslide areas now looks increasingly unlikely. Decision-makers want more time to review changes to the building code to protect people and property from future mudslides, like the one that struck Oso on March 22. There’s also an increasing awareness that regulatory action, however noble the intentions, could have unintended consequences. “We just received different proposals from Planning and Development Services and it is my feeling that the council members need more time to digest this and consider options,” Councilman Brian Sullivan said Monday. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

Monday, May 19, 2014

Celebrating TenacityLaurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes, "A few months ago a heavy, wet snowfall caused a remarkable amount of damage to many of the trees and shrubs here where we live. Trails we’ve developed over the years were obliterated as the weight of the melting snow crushed salal, oceanspray and other brush, uprooted small firs, alder and cedars, and brought down a blizzard of forest litter. Among the worst-hit victims was an apple tree on the edge of our neighbour’s old orchard.... "

As it carves new path, Stilly is full of mysteriesIt has been nearly two months since the hill above Steelhead Haven collapsed and filled the valley of the North Fork Stillaguamish River. The mudslide buried the river, Highway 530 and homes under 10 million cubic yards of dirt and debris. The rescue and recovery operation has been scaled back, with a tally of 41 dead and two missing. The state Department of Transportation has started to uncover the highway. And the river has found its way through the debris. Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

Soundings: David Jamison, area’s apostle of the estuary, was moved by the seaSouth Sound Estuary Association members have been on an emotional roller coaster ride in recent days. The nonprofit group dedicated to estuary education is moving its marine science discovery center from temporary digs on Port of Olympia property to a space twice as large in downtown Olympia. At the same time, SSEA folks are grieving the death of David Jamison, the group’s principal marine science adviser and longtime supporter of marine education activities in the greater Olympia area. Jamison, a Boston Harbor resident, died May 5 at age 75 after a brief illness. The retired state Department of Natural Resources marine biologist dedicated his retirement years to both SSEA and marine environmental education programs, working with community youths and their families. John Dodge reports. (Olympian)

A whale tour to keep Puget Sound orcas in good healthErich Hoyt, an author and marine conservationist, has learned valuable lessons in decades of tracking Pacific Northwest orcas. [Hoyt completes his Orca Tour 2014 talks on The Whale Trail at the Vancouver Public Library Tuesday night.] Martha Baskin reports. (Crosscut)

Unprecedented B.C. glacier melt seeps into U.S. climate change concernsThe mountains of British Columbia cradle glaciers that have scored the landscape over millennia, shaping the rugged West Coast since long before it was the West Coast. But they're in rapid retreat, and an American state-of-the-union report on climate change has singled out the rapid melt in British Columbia and Alaska as a major climate change issue... According to the report, glaciers in the region are losing 20 to 30 per cent of what is melting annually from the Greenland Ice Sheet, which has received far more worldwide attention. (CBC)

City of Vancouver seeks study of economic effects of climate changeThe City of Vancouver wants the economic effects of climate change examined as part of a federal review of Kinder Morgan’s $5.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. The city has filed a motion with the National Energy Board, arguing a decision by the federal review panel that fails to consider climate change would be a breach of its statutory authority under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and sufficient grounds to overturn any recommendations. The National Energy Board has said that it does not intend to consider the environmental and socio-economic effects associated with the development of the Alberta oilsands or the eventual use of the oil shipped to other countries, including in Asia. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Inslee wants state off coal powerWith an abundant supply of hydroelectric power, Washington state currently gets less than 14 percent of its electricity from coal. Gov. Jay Inslee wants to take that down to zero over time. To wean the state off coal-generated power, the Democratic governor will have to persuade the state’s three private electric utilities — Puget Sound Energy, Pacific Power and Avista Corp. — to reduce or eliminate electricity they get from plants in Montana and Wyoming. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Vaughn Palmer: Few details, much downward pressure on LNG taxWhile the B.C. Liberals continue to finalize the details of their proposed tax on the liquefied natural gas industry, Finance Minister Mike de Jong has hinted that they are preparing to scale down the controversial levy. The tax, centrepiece of a prosperity fund that is supposed to underwrite retirement of the provincial debt, was sketched out in the Feb. 18 provincial budget as “a two-tier income tax with a tier one rate of 1.5 per cent and a tier 2 rate of up to seven per cent.” (Vancouver Sun)

Oil trains, road funding on agenda for state transportation meeting in BellinghamLocal leaders will have the attention of the Washington State Transportation Commission at a daylong meeting Tuesday, May 20. A portion of the meeting will be set aside to discuss oil and coal trains. Scheduled to speak to the seven-member commission are Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville, Whatcom County Executive Jack Louws, Port of Bellingham Executive Director Rob Fix, and representatives from tribal and regional transportation organizations... Public comment will be heard at 4:30 p.m. The entire meeting is open to the public. The commission writes the state's 20-year transportation plan. The group will meet at City Hall, 210 Lottie St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Land trust hopes to buy Lummi Island quarry site The Lummi Island Heritage Trust wants to buy quarry land on the island for conservation and low-impact recreation with saltwater access. "We're interested in doing what we can to protect it," said Rebecca Rettmer, executive director of the trust. The land trust is negotiating with Resource Transition Consultants, the receiver for Lummi Rock quarry, to buy 105 acres on the southeast side of the island near Scenic Estates. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

If you like to listen: On The Whale Trail with the Orca TourGreen Acres Radio’s Martha Baskin talks with orca expert and author Erich Hoyt about Salish Sea and Russian killer whales. Hoyt will conclude his journey along The Whale Trail with a 2 pm talk this Sunday at McCaw Hall in Seattle and on Tuesday at the Vancouver Public Library. Brown Paper Tickets; details at Orca Tour 2014.

Third train derailment in 2 weeks in Grays Harbor CountySeven cars of a grain-hauling train derailed Thursday near Montesano, spilling its cargo and making it the third train derailment in Grays Harbor County in the past two weeks. There were on injuries in the Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad derailment. But the railroad’s general manager, Larry Sorensen, said there is concern in the area because the county relies on the tracks for exports out of the harbor. Crews are expected to be on the scene for several days to get the cars upright and the track fixed. Last week, one car of a train jumped the track just west of Aberdeen, and later, on the east side of the city, one car of another train jumped the track. (KCPQ)

Makah group plans to mark whale hunt anniversary Saturday in Neah BayA small flotilla of canoes is expected to set out into Neah Bay on Saturday to mark the 15th anniversary of the Makah tribe’s last legal whale hunt. At the same time, federal officials are coming closer to finalizing an environmental review that could lead to another hunt. Wayne Johnson, who captained the crew that on May 17, 1999, killed the Makah’s first gray whale since the 1920s, said the Makah Whaling Commission organized a paddle to mark the anniversary. Joe Smillie reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

B.C.'s glass sponge reefs protected from spot prawn fishersB.C.'s commercial spot prawn fishermen have, for the first time, agreed to voluntarily avoid nine prehistoric glass-sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia during this year's spot prawn fishery. The scientific community was stunned when glass-sponge reefs, described by the Vancouver Aquarium as the "longest living animals in the world." were first discovered in Hecate Strait in 1987. (CBC)

Risk of Hantavirus on the rise Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome can occur during any month, but spring and summer present more opportunities for exposure. Cleaning cabins, outbuildings and campers, and spending more time outdoors puts people in contact with deer mice...There are typically one to three cases of hantavirus each year in Washington. This severe respiratory disease is caused by inhaling air contaminated with the virus. People are often exposed when rodent droppings, urine or nesting materials are stirred up when sweeping or cleaning. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Thursday, May 15, 2014

If you like to watch:DamNationTrailer of the powerful film coming to the Seattle International Film Festival May 18, 19 and 28; Bellingham Mt. Baker Theater May 22; Port Townsend NW Maritime Theater May 29; and Olympia (to be announced). Full schedule at Save Our wild Salmon.

10,000 gallons of oil spill onto L.A. streetsMore than 10,000 gallons of oil spilled from a burst pipeline in the West Glendale area of Los Angeles on Thursday, spewing crude over a half-mile area, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. In some areas the oil was knee deep, fire department spokesman Jaime Moore said. A "handful" of businesses including a nightclub were affected. The leak from a 20-inch pipe on West San Fernando Road was reported just after 1 a.m. local time. Four people at a medical business were evaluated with respiratory complaints, and two people were transferred to a hospital, Moore said. John Bacon reports. (USA Today)

Ottawa’s new pipeline rules may address B.C.’s demandsA day after announcing new safety measures for tankers, the federal government has introduced tougher regulations for pipelines, taking a “big step” toward meeting British Columbia’s requirements for approving projects to the West Coast. Under the changes, the National Energy Board will be given increased regulatory control over the 73,000 kilometres of pipeline that transport more than $100-billion worth of oil, gas and petroleum products across Canada each year. The new regulations, announced Wednesday by Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford and Transport Minister Lisa Raitt, require the NEB to increase the number of oil and gas pipeline inspections by 50 per cent annually and to double the number of yearly safety audits. The government will also establish absolute liability for pipeline companies by making them responsible for cleanups, whether or not they are to blame for the accidents. Mark Hume and Justine Hunter report. (Globe and Mail)

Philanthropist helps coho, chinook in Georgia StraitA large-scale effort to restore coho and chinook salmon in the Strait of Georgia got a big help thanks to a donation from Vancouver philanthropist Rudy North, president and CEO of North Growth Management. North pledged $250,000 to the Pacific Salmon Foundation's Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, a research project to determine the causes of major declines in chinook and coho salmon in the Strait of Georgia during the last 20 years. The five-year project will cost $10 million and North's donation brings the total raised to $7.25 million. North's donation was announced at the Pacific Salmon Foundation's Vancouver fundraising gala at the Vancouver Convention Centre in front of an audience of 700 people. North made the donation to challenge others who care about salmon and the environment to make a similar level of financial commitment. North will also help the Foundation spearhead a fundraising campaign to raise the remaining funds needed to launch full-scale research in 2015. (Campbell River Courier-Islander)

Group says Skagit salmon recovery is workingAfter years of working to restore valuable salmon habitat in the Skagit watershed and monitoring the fish population for growth, Skagit researchers say they are seeing results. At the Skagit Watershed Council’s quarterly meeting Wednesday, the group discussed salmon recovery, primarily where fresh and salt water mix, like in the Skagit River delta. Recovery efforts appear to be working in those areas, although some projects appear to produce better results than others. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Salmon grown in B.C. land-based tanks come to marketThe first Atlantic salmon grown entirely on land are now landing on grocery store shelves, marketed as a sustainable alternative to salmon grown in ocean-based net pens. The land-based Atlantic salmon, branded under the name Kuterra, is being distributed by Albion Fisheries and sold at 140 Safeway stores in B.C. and Alberta. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Sewage treatment upgrade adds $5.2 million to budgetThe cost of the Capital Regional District’s proposed sewage treatment plant, if it ever finds a home, will increase by $5.2 million to add another stage to the treatment process. CRD directors agreed to increase the cost of the $783-million sewage treatment program by $5.2 million — about $15 a household — to include advanced oxidation to the treatment process to address so-called substances of emerging concern, such as pharmaceuticals, endocrine disrupters, personal care products and household cleaners. Directors postponed, however, a decision on whether or not to spend $8.5-million to barge material to Esquimalt’s McLoughlin Point, should that site be approved as a treatment plant site. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

For Rainier Beach High Students, Class In Session Along Fast-Changing Elwha RiverRainier Beach High School senior Puja Niroula hopes to study science in college. But she's still a bit squeamish when it comes to netting tiny bugs from a creek bed in Olympic National Forest. "I wonder if this is poisonous. Do you think so?" Niroula, 18, asked another student with more than a hint of trepidation as she picked larval mayflies from the net. Niroula and 25 other biology students from the south Seattle school are spending this week conducting experiments on a fast-changing ecosystem at the heart of one of the century's most significant environmental projects: the Elwha River. Kyle Stokers reports. (KPLU)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

New blog: Antarctic Ice Melting is So Scary We Need A LaughNews that a part of the the West Antarctic ice sheet is not only in the process of falling off but also there’s nothing much that can be done to stop the process is pretty grim news. Anybody got something funny to say about that?

If you like to watch:Responding to the Risks of Marine Debris: Derelict Fishing GearMarine debris poses a threat to our environment, human health and to the economy. The Northwest Straits Foundation has spent the last decade recovering lost fishing nets in Puget Sound. This video is just one day in the life of those sea captains, biologists, environmentalists and scuba divers that made a commitment to address this particular risk of marine debris. (Oregon Sea Grant)

Police seek steelhead bandits who released 25,000 fishlWashington state’s five steelhead hatcheries are on high alert after someone broke into a facility overnight and released approximately 25,000 juvenile fish into the Snoqualmie River. State Fish and Wildlife Hatchery managers are concerned it was an act of defiance against a new agreement that sharply curtails the state’s steelhead hatchery program. The agreement resulted from a lawsuit filed by a fish protection group, Wild Fish Conservancy, which accused the State of violating the Endangered Species Act. State Fish and Wildlife Managers agreed to stop planting winter steelhead hatchery fish in all but one river. This set off a wave of criticism by some sport anglers who eagerly await the steelhead runs each year. Gary Chittim reports. (KING)

Loss of natural shoreline confirms concerns about Puget Sound healthDespite shoreline restoration efforts, Vashon has seen an overall loss of natural shoreline in the last decade, a recent study found, leading some to call for better education for homeowners, stricter permitting enforcement and even the banning of bulkheads. “It’s a bit disheartening when you work on so many different projects and we’re still treading water and not forging ahead,” said Greg Rabourn, Vashon’s basin steward for King County. In recent years on Vashon, Rabourn said, the county has removed almost 600 feet of bulkheads, shoreline armoring that harms the environment by stopping natural beach processes and destroying important habitat. However, the installation of bulkheads on private property — as well as retaining walls, docks and stairs — outpaced those conservation efforts, according to the recent study, and Vashon has still seen a net loss of natural shoreline since 2005. Natalie Martin reports. (Vashon Beachcomber)

Woodfibre LNG chooses electricity over natural gas to power Squamish plantWoodfibre LNG announced Tuesday it will use electricity to power cooling compressors for its proposed $1.6 billion liquefied natural gas plant near Squamish. The use of BC Hydro electricity, instead of natural gas, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent as well as other smog pollutants, according to the company, a subsidiary of Indonesian billionaire Sukanto Tanoto’s company Royal Golden Eagle. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Crab boat owner fined $300KThe state Department of Ecology levied a $301,000 fine against the man whose crab boat caught fire and sank in Penn Cove in 2012, causing an oil spill that temporarily shut down nearby Penn Cove Shellfish. It’s just the latest bad news for Rory Westmoreland, a 51-year-old scrap-metal dealer with a history of running afoul of environmental rules, according to the Department of Ecology. Westmoreland is facing a misdemeanor charge in Island County District Court for allegedly abandoning the 128-foot Deep Sea crab boat. Jessie Stensland (Everett Herald)

No Logging Moratorium In Wake Of Oso LandslideIn the wake of the deadly landslide near Oso, Washington, there will be no immediate moratorium on logging around unstable slopes. Some conservationists and regulators wanted to push for that. One of them, Peter Goldman, director of the Washington Forest Law Center in Seattle, says the state Forest Practices Board learned Tuesday it doesn’t have the authority to impose a logging moratorium. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Revenue report: Monthly state collections were up $36.1 million over forecastState government’s coffers grew by $36.1 million more than predicted over the past month, according to the May 12 revenue collections report by Washington’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. The growth in revenue came despite weaker than expected growth in jobs and home-construction activity. The boost in revenues from April 11 to May 10 was 2.9 percent above the Feb. 19 forecast. Top state forecaster Steve Lerch’s monthly report said that brings the total revenue increase above the forecast to $61.8 million so far. Of that, $37.9 million of that due to one-time payments that had not been incorporated into his quarterly forecast. Brad Shannon reports. (Olympian)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

About Me

Salish Sea Communications provides communications and public relations services that raise visibility and engage audiences. Drawing on over 30 years experience in private, public and not-for-profit work, Mike Sato brings to you his skills and insights in developing and carrying out your print, electronic and social media projects and products. "I've been in the communications business since 1977 starting with community weekly newspapers then working for Seattle City Light, the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Hawaiian Electric Company and, for 20 years, People For Puget Sound." Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told. WA State UBI #601395482